News: DC.COM: Teammates And Foes Notice Claiborne’s Weekly Growth

IRVING, Texas – The focus on Morris Claiborne is finally off his knee and on his performance, as he’s progressing into the type of cornerback the Cowboys hoped he could be when they moved up to snag him in the first round.

On a defense maligned for its inability to create turnovers, Claiborne now has an interception and a fumble recovery in consecutive weeks. Perhaps more indicative of his play as a cornerback was his ability to keep receiver Hakeem Nicks in check last weekend.

Claiborne’s beginning to play with the same type of confidence, competitiveness and – as he’d call it – the “swag” the Cowboys saw in him at LSU.

“If you look at him over the course of the season, you’ve seen him grow physically and also in his demeanor and how aggressive he’s playing,” said head coach Jason Garrett. “There are a couple of plays in (Sunday)’s game where he’s making tackles and he’s really consciously trying to rip the ball out, and the ball didn’t come out, but his mentality is that of a playmaker, and in relation to the football on the back end, that’s a really positive thing for us. I think he’s grown right before our eyes.”